Do people Overexaggerate Their Handgun Problems? Or Am I Just Lucky?

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I read everywhere about people complaining all the time that their guns are suffering from failures (FTF/FTE/stovepipes, etc) and am wondering if some people really have that big of problems with it. I'm not trying to start anything, but I've fired over 2500 rounds through 6 pistols (combined) in the past month or so and have had 1 failure. A FTE that was caused by me limp wristing. Is there an explanation as to why some people have problems with failures more often or am I just lucky? I clean my handguns after every range session so I guess that could help? Just looking for discussion regarding this, because it seems to be a prominent problem for a lot of people on several of the forums I frequent.

For discussion purposes, I have:

CZ 75 SP-01
Springfield XD 45C
S&W M&P 9C
FNH FNX 45

and I had (and traded in):
Glock 36 ( traded in for XD45)
IWI Baby Eagle II .45 (traded in for M&P 9C)

And the only failure I had was on my first magazine in my XD. Not one since.

I started a similar post, a while back.........I have been shooting off and on, for 37 yrs......Beretta autos, S&W revolvers, Ruger revolvers and autos....and I have yet to have an FTE,FTF, or any other problem. I religiously keep them clean, right after using...keep them in good shape.....but I can't help but think...maybe a bit of luck?

I've been shooting for about 45 yrs. or so. I couldn't even give an estimate as to the amount of firearms I've owned at one time or another.

Thinking back in regards to the ones I've owned, and only one comes to mind. That was a .22 rifle with a tube feed. I think it was a Glenfield, but not sure. That damn thing mis-fed as many rounds and it successfully fired. It was so bad, that I took it back to where I bought it and got a full refund.

But overall, no, I don't have the problems, issues or situations, that many complain of. I can't blame it on just plain ole dumb luck. I have to rationalize it's more than that.

Do people Overexaggerate Their Handgun Problems? Or Am I Just Lucky?

Considering the hundreds of millions of firearms on the planet and the millions of people who own them, it's likely that complaints about them will be aired in this type of forum. I've been handling firearms since 1975 and have owned an M1, two .22 rifles and several handguns including two S&W 38 revolvers (Model 10 and Model 36); an S&W 5946, an S&W 3953TSW; a Ruger LC9; a S&W Bodyguard .380; a Ruger SR22P; a S&W M&P .22; a S&W M&P .40 Shield; a Springfield Armory .45 XDs; and a Tanfoglio .45. The ONLY one of these weapons that ever gave me heartache was the Bodyguard .380 and I didn't hesitate to complain about it on this forum and two others.

Inexperienced pistol shooters do "limp-wrist" a lot, which causes failures and jams.
But it is human nature to blame the device, rather than its user. (See: "gun control.")
After all, all us guys are born knowing how to shoot just as well as Roy Rogers and Dirty Harry. Right?

i have a Sig Mosquito 22lr. unless i use the "expensive" CCI Minimags ($10 for a 100 brick) the gun is not reliable, FTF, FTE or simple misfire. since this is only a target toy, the cheap bulk ammo is fine by me. eject, rack the slide, or eject the miss fire. no big problem.

i also have a FNP9, i do not recall any critical issues with this weapon. i have over 1000 rounds thru it at the target range.

Inexperienced pistol shooters do "limp-wrist" a lot, which causes failures and jams.
But it is human nature to blame the device, rather than its user. (See: "gun control.")After all, all us guys are born knowing how to shoot just as well as Roy Rogers and Dirty Harry. Right?

I must have been born without this gene. Damn.

But I understand that a lot of the problems are related to "beginner mistakes" but it seems like a lot of experienced shooters are having trouble as well.

For the most part, I refuse to go to a public shooting range. From the way I've seen people handle their firearms, no wonder they have function issues with them.

Life is too short to risk it at a public range.

I don't have the luxury of a private range, so I have to go to public. But trust me, I know where you're coming from. A few of the lanes have bullet holes in the dividers that are literally perpendicular to the target line. How the hell is somebody that dumb? If you're going to "make sure the chamber is empty", point the gun the direction the bullets are supposed to travel. The world is full of idiots.

I also generally refuse to shoot next to somebody who's shooting an AK/AR. In my experience, they are the worst when it comes to proper gun handling. It's pathetic. Nobody ever cleans up their brass either.

When I was a young pup, I used to be terrible about buying, then selling or trading, handguns. I also had several friends who shared the same "problem." One of the few upsides to this type of behavior is you get a LOT of experience with many different types of handguns, from cheap pieces of crap to high-end match-grade autopistols and fine revolvers.

My rabid trading days are long gone now, and my meager little collection has stabilized. Of the handguns I have right now, I consider them all to be 100% reliable under certain conditions, outlined below. For folks who are having problems with their handguns, before you give up, send it back, or go on an expletive-filled rant about your POS pistol, I'd suggest the following:

- Clean it properly between uses, and keep it lubricated correctly at all times.

- Whenever possible, stick with magazines and accessories made by the company that made your handgun. If your handgun was working well, and started having problems after you added or changed some part, then undo the change and test it again. If you return it to its previous condition, and the problem goes away, the change is almost certainly what caused the problem. Not all parts/accessories will work well on all handguns.

- Feed it decent-quality ammunition (domestic-manufactured brass-cased ammo is the least expensive stuff I'll use, personally). If you have functioning or accuracy problems, try several different brands, styles and power levels of ammo, and let a couple of experienced shooters try the weapon before passing final judgement.

All that said; yes, I do think some folks over-exaggerate some problems.

"Placement is power" -- seen in an article by Stephen A. Camp
(RIP, Mr. Camp; you will be remembered, and missed)

My primary carry gun, a gen3 Glock 23, has had two stove pipes and I know exactly why they happened. Not the fault of the gun. My M&P 9mm Pro Series 4.25" barrel has a habit of failing to hold the slide back after the last round from time to time, But I suspect it is due to the magazine getting powder residue. In M&P's, the design is such that the magazine follower has a tendency to get dirty pretty quickly. Glocks don't have this problem. If the magazine is kept clean, the gun functions as expected.

The brand I have I have owned that has historically had the most problems of one type or another is Kahr. And that is a shame. They make a fine gun that fills a much needed niche but their tolerances are very tight so the gun does have to be broken in. And other than firing it a lot, there are a few things one can do to help along this effort. I have owned eleven of them and still own five. Four of the six I sold had problems; three polymers and one all steel. The five I still have are basically flawless.

The most common cause of semi-automatic pistols failures are the shooter and the ammunition... in that order. However, with an experience (read that as also well trained) shooter, then it's the ammunition and the gun that are going to be the primary causes. Still, we're human and even the best of us can slip up at times.

The point of all of this is your safety and your life. You carry and use a handgun defense of self and sometimes others. You want that weapons system to be as faultless and flawless as possible. That is why you need to shoot that system often, to the point of being able to rely upon it when called. Buy quality in both your defensive firearm and you defensive ammunition and learn it well. The loudest sound in the world is "click" when it needs to be "bang".

My primary carry gun, a gen3 Glock 23, has had two stove pipes and I know exactly why they happened. Not the fault of the gun. My M&P 9mm Pro Series 4.25" barrel has a habit of failing to hold the slide back after the last round from time to time, But I suspect it is due to the magazine getting powder residue. In M&P's, the design is such that the magazine follower has a tendency to get dirty pretty quickly. Glocks don't have this problem. If the magazine is kept clean, the gun functions as expected.

The brand I have I have owned that has historically had the most problems of one type or another is Kahr. And that is a shame. They make a fine gun that fills a much needed niche but their tolerances are very tight so the gun does have to be broken in. And other than firing it a lot, there are a few things one can do to help along this effort. I have owned eleven of them and still own five. Four of the six I sold had problems; three polymers and one all steel. The five I still have are basically flawless.

The most common cause of semi-automatic pistols failures are the shooter and the ammunition... in that order. However, with an experience (read that as also well trained) shooter, then it's the ammunition and the gun that are going to be the primary causes. Still, we're human and even the best of us can slip up at times.

The point of all of this is your safety and your life. You carry and use a handgun defense of self and sometimes others. You want that weapons system to be as faultless and flawless as possible. That is why you need to shoot that system often, to the point of being able to rely upon it when called. Buy quality in both your defensive firearm and you defensive ammunition and learn it well. The loudest sound in the world is "click" when it needs to be "bang".

I have fired in excess of 35,000 rounds through 9, 40 and .45 M&P's without experiencing the fault you indicate. I have to wonder what powder or ammo you are using that leaves so much residue.

My primary carry gun, a gen3 Glock 23, has had two stove pipes and I know exactly why they happened. Not the fault of the gun. My M&P 9mm Pro Series 4.25" barrel has a habit of failing to hold the slide back after the last round from time to time, But I suspect it is due to the magazine getting powder residue. In M&P's, the design is such that the magazine follower has a tendency to get dirty pretty quickly. Glocks don't have this problem. If the magazine is kept clean, the gun functions as expected.

The brand I have I have owned that has historically had the most problems of one type or another is Kahr. And that is a shame. They make a fine gun that fills a much needed niche but their tolerances are very tight so the gun does have to be broken in. And other than firing it a lot, there are a few things one can do to help along this effort. I have owned eleven of them and still own five. Four of the six I sold had problems; three polymers and one all steel. The five I still have are basically flawless.

The most common cause of semi-automatic pistols failures are the shooter and the ammunition... in that order. However, with an experience (read that as also well trained) shooter, then it's the ammunition and the gun that are going to be the primary causes. Still, we're human and even the best of us can slip up at times.

The point of all of this is your safety and your life. You carry and use a handgun defense of self and sometimes others. You want that weapons system to be as faultless and flawless as possible. That is why you need to shoot that system often, to the point of being able to rely upon it when called. Buy quality in both your defensive firearm and you defensive ammunition and learn it well. The loudest sound in the world is "click" when it needs to be "bang".

Are you 100% sure you're not hitting the slide lock button with your thumb while shooting? That's always been the solution when I have a problem with the slide not locking back at the end of a mag.

I have fired in excess of 35,000 rounds through 9, 40 and .45 M&P's without experiencing the fault you indicate. I have to wonder what powder or ammo you are using that leaves so much residue.

WWB standard FMJ 115gr target ammo. I have about 3,000 rounds through it and it has settled down and hardly does it at all anymore. It's quite accurate and an excellent shooter. I also have the same gun, though not a Pro, in .40S&W, and a .45ACP with the standard size frame and 4" barrel.

Are you 100% sure you're not hitting the slide lock button with your thumb while shooting? That's always been the solution when I have a problem with the slide not locking back at the end of a mag.

Virtually certain. I use the thumbs forward hold and my shooting hand thumb is clear of the slide stop. When the gun was new, it tended to happen more with one of my magazines (I have four) but as I wrote above, it has been quite dependable for some time now.